HAMILTON, N.Y. (6/27/07) – Colgate University athletics director David Roach and head women’s soccer coach Kathy Brawn have announced the 2007 women’s soccer schedule.

 

The Raiders will play nine of their 19 games at Van Doren Field, including one that will be televised nationally on the Fox Soccer Channel. They will play teams from six different conferences and three teams that were in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

 

“This year’s schedule is balanced in every way,” Brawn said. “It is challenging from start to finish and includes a great mix of traditional non-league rivals like Cornell and Syracuse, as well as a contest against top ten-ranked Penn State. Of course, hosting our first nationally televised game (9/13 vs. Iona), and being on Van Doren Field for both Homecoming (10/6 vs. American) and Family Weekend (10/20 vs. Bucknell), are all big plusses. Add to that the strength of the rest of our opponents, the parity in the Patriot League, and the talent and determination of the Colgate soccer team; and you can see why it’s an exciting time to be a Raider soccer fan.”

 

Highlighting the travel schedule will be a trip to University Park, Pa., to face NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist Penn State, on September 26. The Nittany Lions bowed out in the quarterfinal round to 2006 national runner-up Notre Dame. The defending Big 10 champion, Penn State posted an 18-5-3 record and an 8-1-1 mark in the conference.

 

The Raiders begin the season on a five-game road swing, opening up with two games in the capital district. Colgate opens with Albany on Friday, August 31 at 4 p.m., and Siena on Sunday, September 2 at 1 p.m.

 

The Raiders hold a 5-2 advantage in the all-time series with the Great Danes, winning the last four meetings with the America East team, which finished last season with a 5-13-1 record. Colgate has lost just once to Siena, a 2-1 defeat on opening day in 2005 at Van Doren Field. The Raiders will seek to avenge the loss over the Saints, which finished last season with a 9-8-2 mark.

 

Colgate will head to Connecticut the following weekend to take on Fairfield and Sacred Heart. The Stags host the Raiders in their first evening game of the season, at 7 p.m., on Friday, September 7. Colgate is 4-2 against Fairfield and undefeated on Stag turf, winning all three matches. On Sunday, September 9, Sacred Heart hosts Colgate at 1 p.m. The Raiders won the only meeting between the two teams, a 2-1 victory last fall.

 

Colgate and Iona will play for the cameras on September 13 at 8 p.m., at Van Doren Field. The Raiders’ home opener will be televised on the Fox Soccer Channel, channel 106 locally. The two teams have met just once, in 2004, when Iona took a 2-1 overtime victory on its home field. The Gaels were 4-11-4 last season and were shutout by opponents on 10 occasions. Iona’s 2007 squad will feature 14 freshmen and 13 returnees.

 

Northwestern hosts Colgate on Sunday, September 16 at 1:15 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the two teams and will be a homecoming for five Raiders who are from the Chicago area.

 

The Raiders return home on Tuesday, September 18 at 7 p.m., and host Marist. The two squads have played just once, in 2000, with Colgate posting a 4-0 shutout.

 

Continuing its three-game homestand, Colgate and Vermont will face off on Friday, September 21 at 7 p.m. The Raiders hold an 11-5-3 edge in the all-time series and have won the last nine meetings, outscoring the Catamounts 24-7 during that time.

 

On Sunday, September 23, regional rival Syracuse will take to Van Doren Field for a 1 p.m., contest. Colgate posted a 1-0 victory last season to end Syracuse’s nine-game unbeaten streak. The Orange are 8-2-1 all-time versus the Raiders.

After returning from Penn State, Colgate will host reigning America East champion Hartford on Friday, September 28 for a 7 p.m., game. Colgate took a 3-1 game last season at the Villanova Tournament, but it’s the Hawks that lead the series, 4-2-1.

 

The final non-conference game of the year will take place at Cornell on Sunday, September 30 at 1 p.m. The Raiders have won the last three meetings with the Big Red, and hope to even the series as it sits 13-12-3 in favor of Cornell.

 

The Patriot League portion of the Raiders’ schedule gets underway on Saturday, October 6, when Colgate hosts American at 4 p.m. The Raiders are undefeated, 2-0, against the Eagles at Van Doren Field and have won the last four games.

 

The Raiders will play two league games on the road before returning home to face three competitors.

 

Army hosts Colgate on Friday, October 12 at 7 p.m. The Raiders are 23-8-1 all-time against the Black Knights and most recently recorded a 3-0 shutout in the final home game of the 2006 season.

 

Colgate looks to extend its four-game win streak over Holy Cross on Sunday, October 14 in a 1 p.m., contest. The Raiders have a 17-7-2 edge in the all-time series and have kept the Crusaders without a victory since 2002.

 

Regular season champion Bucknell will be in town on Saturday, October 20 for a 7 p.m., game. The Bison were 12-5-1 last year and 6-1 in the league, to earn the regular season title. It was Colgate who ended Bucknell’s season last year, as the Raiders upset the No. 1-seeded Bison 2-1 in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals last year in Lewisburg, Pa.

 

Colgate will host Lafayette and Lehigh in the final home weekend on October 26 and 28. The Raiders have let the Leopards win just once in the all-time series that dates back to 1990, as Colgate holds a 17-1 advantage in the series. Colgate hopes to add to its six-game win streak when it hosts Lafayette on Friday at 7 p.m.

 

Lehigh has had the better luck as of late, going 3-1-1 in the last five games including a 3-1 win last season. The Raiders’ last victory was in 2004 when they knocked out the Mountain Hawks in the title game of the Patriot League Tournament. The two squads will battle it out on Sunday at 1 p.m.

 

Navy, the defending Patriot League Tournament champion, will host Colgate in the final game of the regular season on Saturday, November 3 at 1 p.m. The Raiders are looking for justice after two losses to the Midshipmen last year, including a 1-0 loss in the league championship game. Navy fell to 2006 National Champion North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, to finish its season 21-5-2.

 

The Patriot League Tournament is slated for Nov. 9 and 11 at the site of the regular season champion. The NCAA Tournament begins the following weekend on Nov. 16 and 18.